Racha
Encyclopedia
Racha is a highland area in western Georgia
, located in the upper Rioni river valley
and hemmed in by the Greater Caucasus
mountains. Under Georgia’s current subdivision, Racha is included in the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti
region (mkhare
) as the municipalities of Oni
and Ambrolauri
.
Racha occupies 2,854 km2 in the north-eastern corner of western Georgia. Spurs of the Greater Caucasus crest separates Racha from the Georgian historical regions of Svaneti
and Lechkhumi
on the north-west and from Imereti
on the south, while the main Caucasus ridge forms a boundary with Russia
’s North Ossetia. On the east, Racha is bordered by breakaway South Ossetia
, officially part of Georgia’s Shida Kartli
region.
Racha had been part of Colchis
and Caucasian Iberia
since ancient times and its main town Oni
was said to have been founded by King Parnajom of Iberia in the 2nd century BC. Upon creation of the unified Georgian kingdom in the 11th century, Racha became one of the duchies (saeristavo) within it. Rati of the Baghvashi
family was the first duke (eristavi
) appointed by King Bagrat III
. Descendants of Rati and his son Kakhaber, eponymous father of Racha’s ruling dynasty of Kakhaberisdze
, governed the province until 1278. In 1278 King David VI Narin
abolished the duchy during his war against the Mongols
. In the mid-14th century, the duchy was restored under the rule of the Tcharelidze family.
The next dynasty of Chkhetidze
governed Racha from 1465 to 1769. Vassals of the King
of Imereti
, they revolted several times against the royal power. The 1678-1679 civil war resulted in the most serious consequences. In this war, Duke Shoshita II of Racha (1661-1684) supported Prince Archil, a rival of the pro-Ottoman
Imeretian king Bagrat IV
. On the defeat of Archil, Racha was overrun and plundered by an Ottoman punitive force. Under Rostom (1749-1769), the duchy became virtually independent from Imereti
. However, towards the end of 1769, King Solomon I of Imereti
managed to arrest Rostom and to abolish the duchy. In 1784, King David of Imereti revived the duchy and gave it to his nephew Anton. Local opposition attempted to use an Ottoman force to take control of Racha, but the victory of King David at Skhvava (January 26, 1786) temporarily secured his dominance in the area. In 1789, the next Imeretian king Solomon II
finally abolished the duchy and subordinated the province directly to the royal administration.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, located in the upper Rioni river valley
Rioni River
The Rioni or Rion River is the main river of western Georgia. It originates in the Caucasus Mountains, in the region of Racha and flows west to the Black Sea, entering it north of the city of Poti...
and hemmed in by the Greater Caucasus
Greater Caucasus
Greater Caucasus , sometimes translated as "Caucasus Major", "Big Caucasus" or "Large Caucasus") is the major mountain range of the Caucasus Mountains....
mountains. Under Georgia’s current subdivision, Racha is included in the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti
Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti
Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti is a region in northwestern Georgia which includes the historical provinces of Racha, Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti . It covers an area of 4,954 km² and has a population of 50,969 . It is the most sparsely populated region in the country...
region (mkhare
Mkhare
Mkhare is a subdivision in the country of Georgia. It is usually translated as region.The country is divided, according to the Presidential decrees from 1994 to 1996, into regions on a provisional basis until the secessionist conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia are resolved...
) as the municipalities of Oni
Oni, Georgia
Oni is a town in Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region , Georgia. Historically and ethnographically, it is part of Racha, a historic highland province in western Georgia...
and Ambrolauri
Ambrolauri
Ambrolauri is a town in western Georgia which serves as a regional capital of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti and the center of the homonymous district. As of the 2002 census, it had a population of 2,500....
.
Racha occupies 2,854 km2 in the north-eastern corner of western Georgia. Spurs of the Greater Caucasus crest separates Racha from the Georgian historical regions of Svaneti
Svaneti
Svaneti is a historic province in Georgia, in the northwestern part of the country. It is inhabited by the Svans, a geographic subgroup of the Georgians.- Geography :...
and Lechkhumi
Lechkhumi
Lechkhumi is a historic province in northwestern Georgia which comprises the area along the middle basin of the Rioni and Tskhenistskali and also the Lajanuri river valley. Now part of the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region, it corresponds roughly to the present day Tsageri district as well...
on the north-west and from Imereti
Imereti
Imereti is a province in Georgia situated along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni river. It consists of the following Georgian administrative-territorial units:#Kutaisi #Baghdati region#Vani region#Zestafoni region...
on the south, while the main Caucasus ridge forms a boundary with Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
’s North Ossetia. On the east, Racha is bordered by breakaway South Ossetia
South Ossetia
South Ossetia or Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....
, officially part of Georgia’s Shida Kartli
Shida Kartli
Shida Kartli is a region in Georgia. It consists of the following districts: Gori, Kaspi, Kareli, Java, Khashuri.The northern part of the region, namely Java, and northern territories of Kareli and Gori, is controlled by the authorities of the self-proclaimed republic of South Ossetia since...
region.
History
Colchis
In ancient geography, Colchis or Kolkhis was an ancient Georgian state kingdom and region in Western Georgia, which played an important role in the ethnic and cultural formation of the Georgian nation.The Kingdom of Colchis contributed significantly to the development of medieval Georgian...
and Caucasian Iberia
Caucasian Iberia
Iberia , also known as Iveria , was a name given by the ancient Greeks and Romans to the ancient Georgian kingdom of Kartli , corresponding roughly to the eastern and southern parts of the present day Georgia...
since ancient times and its main town Oni
Oni, Georgia
Oni is a town in Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region , Georgia. Historically and ethnographically, it is part of Racha, a historic highland province in western Georgia...
was said to have been founded by King Parnajom of Iberia in the 2nd century BC. Upon creation of the unified Georgian kingdom in the 11th century, Racha became one of the duchies (saeristavo) within it. Rati of the Baghvashi
Baghvashi
The Liparitids , also known as Baghuashi , were a noble house in medieval Georgia, with notable members from the 9th to 12th centuries and famed for their powerful resistance to the consolidation of the Bagratid royal authority in the Kingdom of Georgia...
family was the first duke (eristavi
Eristavi
Eristavi was a Georgian feudal office, roughly equivalent to the Byzantine strategos and normally translated into English as "duke". In the Georgian aristocratic hierarchy, it was the title of the third rank of prince and governor of a large province...
) appointed by King Bagrat III
Bagrat III of Georgia
Bagrat III , of the Georgian Bagrationi dynasty, was King of the Abkhazians from 978 on and King of Georgia from 1008 on. He united these two titles by dynastic inheritance and, through conquest and diplomacy, added some more lands to his realm, effectively becoming the first king of what is...
. Descendants of Rati and his son Kakhaber, eponymous father of Racha’s ruling dynasty of Kakhaberisdze
Kakhaberisdze
The Kakhaberidze, archaically Kakhaberisdze was a noble family in medieval Georgia which held sway over the highland northwestern Georgian province of Racha from the 11th or 12th century to the 13th...
, governed the province until 1278. In 1278 King David VI Narin
David VI Narin
David VI Narin , from the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia in 1245–1293. From 1259 to 1293, he ruled the kingdom of Imereti under the name David I as a vassal state of Georgia.-Life:...
abolished the duchy during his war against the Mongols
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
. In the mid-14th century, the duchy was restored under the rule of the Tcharelidze family.
The next dynasty of Chkhetidze
Chkhetidze
Chkhetidze was a Georgian noble family known in west Georgia from the tenth century. The oldest known representative is Germain Chkhetidze, Archbishop-Metropolitan of Bedia in 999, who, according to legend, was of Byzantine origin....
governed Racha from 1465 to 1769. Vassals of the King
Kingdom of Imereti
The Kingdom of Imereti was established in 1455 by a member of the house of Bagration when the Kingdom of Georgia was dissolved into rival kingdoms. Before that time, Imereti was considered a separate kingdom within the Kingdom of Georgia, to which a cadet branch of the Bagration royal family held...
of Imereti
Imereti
Imereti is a province in Georgia situated along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni river. It consists of the following Georgian administrative-territorial units:#Kutaisi #Baghdati region#Vani region#Zestafoni region...
, they revolted several times against the royal power. The 1678-1679 civil war resulted in the most serious consequences. In this war, Duke Shoshita II of Racha (1661-1684) supported Prince Archil, a rival of the pro-Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
Imeretian king Bagrat IV
Bagrat IV of Imereti
Bagrat IV , of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a king of Imereti from 1589 to 1590. Bagrat was a son of Prince Rostom, a grandson of King Alexander II of Imereti...
. On the defeat of Archil, Racha was overrun and plundered by an Ottoman punitive force. Under Rostom (1749-1769), the duchy became virtually independent from Imereti
Imereti
Imereti is a province in Georgia situated along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni river. It consists of the following Georgian administrative-territorial units:#Kutaisi #Baghdati region#Vani region#Zestafoni region...
. However, towards the end of 1769, King Solomon I of Imereti
Solomon I of Imereti
Solomon I , of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was King of Imereti from 1752 to 1766 and again from 1768 until his death in 1784....
managed to arrest Rostom and to abolish the duchy. In 1784, King David of Imereti revived the duchy and gave it to his nephew Anton. Local opposition attempted to use an Ottoman force to take control of Racha, but the victory of King David at Skhvava (January 26, 1786) temporarily secured his dominance in the area. In 1789, the next Imeretian king Solomon II
Solomon II of Imereti
Solomon II , of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was the last King of Imereti from 1789 to 1790 and from 1792 until his deposition by the Imperial Russian government in 1810....
finally abolished the duchy and subordinated the province directly to the royal administration.
See also
- Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo SvanetiRacha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo SvanetiRacha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti is a region in northwestern Georgia which includes the historical provinces of Racha, Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti . It covers an area of 4,954 km² and has a population of 50,969 . It is the most sparsely populated region in the country...
, region in Georgia - LechkhumiLechkhumiLechkhumi is a historic province in northwestern Georgia which comprises the area along the middle basin of the Rioni and Tskhenistskali and also the Lajanuri river valley. Now part of the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region, it corresponds roughly to the present day Tsageri district as well...
- Nikortsminda
- BarakoniBarakoniBarakoni Church of the Mother of God , commonly known as Barakoni , is an Orthodox church in Georgia, near the town of Ambrolauri, in the village of Tsesi of mountainous western province of Racha ....
- 1991 Racha earthquake1991 Racha earthquakeThe 1991 Racha earthquake occurred in the province of Racha, Georgia at 9:12 UTC on 29 April. Centered on the districts of Oni and Ambrolauri on the southern foothills of the Greater Caucasus mountains, it killed 270, left approximately 100,000 homeless and caused severe damage, including to...
- GebiGebithumb|right|Mountains surrounding GebiGebi is an old village in the northern part of Georgian republic, in the region of Racha. From the northern slopes of Caucasus Gebi is bordered by Russia. Gebi with other two villages creates one ethno-cultural area, called Mtaracha...